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Lil Jon and his family are mourning the loss of Nathan Smith a.k.a. Young Slade after he was found dead in Georgia.
On Friday, February 6, the Atlanta native and his wife, Nicole Smith, issued a statement after police pulled their son's body out of a pond in Mayfield Park. In his emotional message, Jon said he and his wife "are devastated" by the horrendous news.
"I am extremely heartbroken for the tragic loss of our son, Nathan Smith. His mother [Nicole Smith] and I are devastated," Jon wrote. "Nathan was the kindest human being you would ever meet."
"He was immensely caring, thoughtful, polite, passionate, and warm-hearted - he loved his family and the friends in his life to the fullest," he continued. "He was an amazingly talented young man; a music producer, an artist and engineer, and a graduate of NYU."
"We loved Nath with all of our hearts and are incredibly proud of him," he added. "He was loved and appreciated, and in our last times together we're comforted in knowing that we expressed that very sentiment to him."
Smith was reported missing earlier this week. Police and Smith's family spent the past few days actively searching for him after he took off on foot on Monday morning. As of this report, police don't believe foul play was involved, but they are still investigating his death.
Rest in peace, Nathan Smith. We extend our deepest condolences to Lil Jon and his family.